A North-Atlantic country joining the trans-Pacific free trade pact is being marked up as a symbolic win for the UK’s Brexit drive to break away from the EU.
It demonstrates how the country can apply new thinking to its trade position in the world. UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch was last week quick to praise predecessor Liam Fox who five years ago kicked off the UK’s efforts to tie up with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership – or simply CPTPP.
Looked at another way, it demonstrates that the UK is finally getting its strategy, sealed in the wake of the 2016 vote, in place. As well as sealing promising opportunities, it can revamp other areas where progress has been slower.
There is a growing number of calls for a fresh start on the UK’s negotiations with countries in the Middle East. Not least in regard to the UK’s talks with the GCC, where influential members of parliament are now discussing an approach that would bring a faster result – a bilateral trade deal with the UAE.
At a talk hosted by the UK’s Emirates Society late last month, Steve McCabe, the Labour Party veteran with a deep interest in the region, said post-Brexit trade deals was one area in which the UK was simply not doing enough to remain relevant to countries in the region. Mr McCabe pointed to an international diplomatic scene that was not simply about the orbits of superpowers but countries seeking co-operation in areas such as trade and climate.
The UK's negotiations with the GCC are hardly moribund. The formal third round of the talks wrapped up last month and there were positive statements from both sides about the substantive issues being addressed.
But Mr McCabe, who was recently part of a parliamentary delegation to the UAE, is one of those warning about the limitations of talking for talking’s sake. “We need to be clearer and more direct with what we think is possible, and we need to be absolutely explicit that if we are going to do trade deals, they are urgent and not something that can sit on the backburner for an undue period of time,” he told the Society.
A bilateral trade deal would “step outside” the older and more conventional thinking that led to the GCC talks, which are closely modelled on the also ongoing EU-GCC free trade negotiations. Mr McCabe added that this approach was something that the Labour party should well take onboard, should it form the next government, in relation to the Abraham Accords.
The CPTPP was established in 2018. Its members include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, plus in future the UK.
The boost to the UK GDP is modest, perhaps as little as a few billion pounds annually initially. The bloc is, however, making up 16 per cent of global GDP. It makes good on the recent reboot of the UK Integrated Review, which puts emphasis on pragmatic and evolving alliances with middle-power countries as a potential strength for the UK’s diplomacy.
For a country that prides itself on the promotion of a free and open liberal trade order, the accession is a big move forward
With faster growth, the CPTPP could represent a fifth of the global economy. The UK is getting a chance to shape one of the fastest-growing global blocs from the inside. With an emerging set of three regulatory powers (US, EU and China), the CPTPP has an opening to set its own fourth-pillar approach to how standards are set.
One area worth watching is how this profile is enhanced in the global data transfer stakes, with competing approaches coalescing around the US, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, and the Chinese Digital Silk Road.
As London offers another voice alongside those such as Japan and Australia, which are not keen on the Chinese application to join the CPTPP, the UK entry into the bloc is globally significant.
For London, there is the ability to show that it can make its Indo-Pacific commitments and ambitions into a manifest reality. When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke recently in San Diego and declared that “Britain is back” in the Pacific, that was exactly what he meant.
For a country that prides itself on the promotion of a free and open liberal trade order, the accession is a big move forward. The battle against protectionism gets a fillip from such moves. So there is a change in direction that London can take further. For its regional ambitions, one of those opportunities lies with the UAE.
A trade-off between speed and depth of agreements is a commonly recognised dynamic in trade talks. The same is true for any country’s political and diplomatic position.
After the coup of the geographically wide-ranging CPTPP tie-up, the UK could act speedily to take a step into a Free Trade Agreement with the UAE. The low barriers to trade and services between the two countries would make such talks easier – as would their shared predisposition towards open international economies.
It would be a bold step that would get the UK’s trade diplomacy noticed and pay dividends across a broader front.
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Company%C2%A0profile
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Brief scores:
Toss: Australia, chose to bat
Australia: 272-9 (50 ov)
Khawaja 100, Handscomb 52; Bhuvneshwar 3-48
India: 237 (50 ov)
Rohit 56, Bhuvneshwar 46; Zampa 3-46
Player of the Match: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Player of the Series: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
Company%20Profile
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Company%20Profile
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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AWARDS
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